Sex and Chocolate: Complements or Substitutes?

The attached picture is a display at the local CVS in Ann Arbor, Mich. My thought was that this shelf display is a great example of complements: Enjoy a chocolate bar together, and who knows what nice things might follow? My son thought that it depicted substitutes — no luck in love, so drown your sorrows by eating chocolate. I don’t know who is correct, but the example illustrates well the fact the complementarity/substitutability can depend on the specific situation being examined.

There is something also really complimentary about the packaging and color scheme of the displays. Oranges, reds, and browns look good together. Also, the shape of the boxes make sense when next to each other as well. Perhaps that is the reason they were shelved as compliments?

Despite my waxing, let’s face it…someone who was shelving the boxes has a little bit of a sense of humor.